The Scion
by SaintCatherine
Summary: Turks were precise. They didn't make mistakes. They didn't let their feelings get in the way. Especially not their leader. But one mistake was going to cost him and would challenge everything he believed in, everything he was and everything he was loyal to.


Prologue

* * *

Aeris sat quietly next to the flowers in her church. Gently, she caressed the petals of the yellow and white daffodils that were once again in full bloom and ready for the plucking.

But she was in no mood to sell flowers. In fact she hadn't sold any for a whole week and had spent most of her time at home. Zack was dead. She knew it. She had felt his soul return to the life stream and yet she couldn't believe it at the same time.

It had been five years. _Five years _and not a word. No letter, no phone call…not a monosyllable. She had at first thought he had forgotten all about her, found someone else perhaps, however she knew Zack was gentleman enough to end a relationship.

So why hadn't he? Swallowing hard and biting her bottom lip, Aeris surveyed the flowers that were ready to be sold and with a pair of gardening scissors, began to snip from the lower stem and gingerly place them in her basket. The wagon Zack made her had broken long ago with no one left to fix it.

Grimacing and brushing the dust off her dress, Aeris stood up and crooked the basket under her arm. How was she supposed to sell flowers when she was in such a dismal mood? _I can fake a smile. I always have. _

Thinking about Zack also made her feel guilty. What she had done had been in the spur of an emotional moment and it had been years since she last heard from him. However it still didn't shake the sordid sense that she had done something wrong. Something unfaithful.

_Focus on smiling. _

Surprisingly it was easier said than done. She would try anyway. Fastening up the red jacket, raising her head high and letting a weak smile make its way over her lips, Aeris prepared herself for a day's worth of money making. What was it that Zack had said?

_Midgar full of flowers, wallet full of money._

Ahh that was it. Cautiously making her way out of the church, Aeris decided she would take the train and attempt to sell flowers in Sector Eight. That place was always bustling and she was sure to make a formidable profit there.

However the happy mood was cut short when Aeris noticed a flash of blue, navy blue to be precise and the smile was wiped off her face.

Couldn't they attempt to give her just one ounce of privacy? She gathered not, but she was just plainly not in the mood to even lay eyes on any of them, let alone Tseng of all people. Surprisingly he decided to come out of the shadows and approach her today which was definitely saying something.

She hadn't seen him for a while since he was either so busy with work or had decided to conceal himself from her. She hoped it was in the former. She didn't want to talk to him and started to walk away but he only called out to her. She stopped.

"What do you want?" She said; her voice unusually low and very cold. Tseng was slightly taken aback by her sharp rudeness, but he did his best not to show it. He studied her wordlessly for a few moments before clearing his throat.

"You haven't been out for weeks," he said quietly. She didn't reply, but she did keep her expression neutral. "Go away," she said attempting to walk off again, but shockingly, he grabbed her arm.

Alarm crossed her face as she started harbouring paranoid thoughts that he was finally going to give her up to Hojo, however when she turned to meet his expression, his face was unusually soft. "Are you alright?" There were so many mixed meanings and emotions in that one sentence that Aeris had to struggle to stop herself from crying.

_Still no word on Zack, no information from Shinra and you simply remind me of that night. _She thought to herself, but simply shrugged as an answer. Tseng hesitated almost at a loss of what to say. True, they had drifted apart when it came to social interaction in the last couple of weeks, but that didn't mean he stopped thinking about her. Stopped caring…

"I've been-worried about you."

Why was he bothering? If he could so easily lie to her about the intentions of Shinra and sweet talk her into his bed then she supposed it was no big deal to lie to her about his supposed feelings. For now though or at least throughout the last couple of weeks, he reminded her of an empty husk. Cold, emotionless-no feelings whatsoever.

"Have you now," she bit out sarcastically. He actually winced when she said that and Tseng wasn't someone who winced. He was a Turk and they never let their emotions get the better of them, but for some reason when he was around her he acted a little more lenient. Perhaps before she understood why, but now she didn't think he needed to trouble himself anymore.

"Aeris…" he trailed off, absentmindedly stroking her arm. Aeris shuddered at his touch. It only sufficed to remind her of the night she had spent with him. And it made her stomach feel like a bottomless pit. But he was making an effort to be kind.

Deciding to try to be nice (though she didn't think he deserved it) Aeris simpered to herself and sighed. "How's work?" She grudgingly mumbled to him. His mouth formed into a thin line. "Work is fine, but I am more worried about you."

"Fine," she replied already tired of small talk. "I have to go," she said wanting very much to get away from him and gently removed her arm out of his grasp. "Aeris," he started and she stopped.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" She sounded defeated, but she may as well digest whatever story Tseng wanted to tell her for his confrontation. He seemed to hesitate. At a loss for words? "I…about our time above the Plate…"

Aeris turned away disdainfully. She did not want to have this conversation. Tseng persisted. "Is that why you are upset? Upset still?"

Why was he pushing the issue? Wasn't it obvious?

"Does it matter?" She whispered.

"It matters to me."

She wanted to tell him she didn't care what mattered to him, but knew that would be nothing short of childish.

"Well yes Tseng a little. But I don't blame you for it. You were just doing your job."

Taken aback he stared at her. The line of his mouth hardening into a deep grimace.

"Is that what you think it was?" He said quietly.

Aeris didn't say anything.

She knew she was being a little bit irrational. She had her doubts that him sleeping with her was actually a routine job to get her to tell him where the Promised Land was. However, considering the fact that they were both drunk at the time…the deductive reasoning didn't seem so plausible and. she had been more sober than he was.

But still, reading the messages on his phone about her removed any sense of logic she retained and she just wondered how she could have been so foolish.

"Despite what you may think, that wasn't my mission. I will be blunt with you Aeris."

This time, she did turn back to him and was dismayed to find out that he returned to that usual emotionless husk he always pretended to be.

_Not pretend _Aeris told herself.

He just _was. _

"Patience is wearing thin upstairs. Time is limited and your current freedom will be curbed any day now. Unless you speak, give us reason that everything we invested in you is worth it, then and only then can we help you. If not…"

He didn't need to spell it out. She already knew.

She was just disappointed that once again he had shown her who he was loyal to. What was more important to him.

She inwardly snorted. How could she expect anything less?

"You do not have to remind me," she muttered.

A tired sigh escaped his lips. He was losing patience with her.

"Aeris," he began, but she cut him off.

"I know Tseng. I know what will happen and there is nothing I or you can do about it. You will do your duty when the time comes and hand me over to Shinra and I will simply reap what I have sown. It is outside my control. I don't know where the Promised Land is and personally as I have told you many times, I doubt it even exists. It is nothing more than a fable in Cetran mythology. If it did exist, its whereabouts died with my mother and you have only yourself to blame for that. Now leave me be."

She turned away before she could accurately deduce what sort of expression he had on his face. Surprise maybe? She didn't care. As far as she was concerned, that odd friendship they had built over the years was over. It was buried and it was gone.

When she turned her head around, she found that he had disappeared. Probably blending in the shadows to watch out for her safety.

He could watch her all he liked. It didn't matter.

In time, he'd have only his memories of her in these places and whether he cared or washed his hands of her made no difference.

She'd be long dead by then.


End file.
